by Will Carroll

Maurice Jones-Drew: Jones-Drew has what appears to be a deep bruise after Thursday night's game. They'll take a precautionary MRI, more because they got a group discount than any real need, but there are going to be questions about how quickly he can recover. Bruises hurt, simple as that. It's whether MJD can take the feature load and avoid these kinds of nicks and dings that will be the difference between us talking about him like an elite back or a guy that missed his shot to be one.

Tom Brady: There are moments when I wish Tom Brady would say "You know what? I'm married to a supermodel and I have enough money." It would make my life easier and we could all have a weepy Tedy Bruschi moment. Brady elicits more insanity than any other player right now, shy of maybe Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco, but for a far different reason. Brady had knee surgery. So have lots of quarterbacks. Brady's coming back from injury. So have lots of quarterbacks. So why is it that Pats fans and fantasy football addicts treat Brady differently? The big concern this week is that big Albert Haynesworth landed on him and he was a bit sore. The equation -- I know FO readers like equations -- is F=M x A. The mass is 300-plus pounds, but the key here was that Brady knows how to fall (watch the tape -- he "rag dolled" after being hit) and that he fell on soft summer grass. That same hit on a cold day in Foxboro or on hard turf? It could have been much worse. The Pats don't seem terribly concerned about Brady, but they do seem concerned about their offensive line play. Bill Belichick has time to re-focus them before the season starts.

Matt Cassel: The news isn't as good on the guy who replaced Brady last year. Matt Cassel has his own team now, assuming Todd Haley doesn't have a fit and assuming that his MCL sprain heals up. MCLs tend to heal on their own when not ruptured and have enough secondary stabilizers that most surgeons pass on fixing them. The downside is that it remains painful just after the injury and that it can severely impede lateral movement. For Cassel, this is especially problematic. Quarterbacks move laterally with their quick, precise dropbacks and then again if, as with the Chiefs, pass rushers make it necessary as a matter of personal safety to move aside. Cassel could likely play in Week 1, but he might not have enough quickness or confidence given that he's facing the Ravens' D. It's safer to assume that Haley will sacrifice ... err, give Brodie Croyle a chance to build off his camp and we'll see Cassel back in Week 2.

Matt Schaub: Matt Schaub has always had the skills to be a solid NFL quarterback and a fantasy asset. The problem is that he doesn't have that one skill -- health -- that I look at closely. Schaub has once again been slowed by an injury, this time a Grade II ankle sprain suffered in the last game. It was a hard eversion sprain that was painful, but while Schaub will be held out of the final preseason game (see the note below), he's expected to be at full strength or close enough to it when the season opens. Schaub has a tendency to be injured more on turf, which is interesting, if not meaningful. He does play his home games on turf and some portion of his road games, but it's worth noting.

Carson Palmer: Speaking of quarterbacks, healing, and ankle sprains, we've all gotten a good look via Hard Knocks at how Carson Palmer and the Bengals have been dealing with his Grade II sprain. The team has been very cautious with him (though he has not had the bucket hat that the Bengals force on injured players), not only because of the ankle but the questions that remain about his elbow. Palmer hasn't taken many hits and he's at a bit more risk if he falls on it that other quarterbacks. Things have looked good for the decision to avoid Tommy John surgery so far, but that could turn around in a hurry. Palmer's line is going to be a real key for him, so not having Andre Smith (who's broken foot suffered immediately upon practicing is a typical black mark on the Bengals) could end up an issue for everyone. If Palmer can be kept upright, he can be good. I'm watching to see the hurries and knockdown numbers in Week 1.

Knowshon Moreno: With the exit of Mike Shanahan and the drafting of Knowshon Moreno, it appeared that our long national fantasy nightmare might be over. Once again, we'd be able to look at the Denver backfield and say "that guy! He's going to get the start and the carries!" No, it's not that easy. The NFL has changed, going to running back tandems if not the Shanahanian boogaloo of rotating backs. Moreno for his part had an early MCL sprain that kept him from getting fully integrated. That left an opening for LaMont Jordan, who's already familiar with Josh McDaniel's offense and seems to have the coach's trust. Jordan will get early carries, perhaps playing the part of Dominic Rhodes 2006, with Moreno taking on the Joseph Addai role. If so, it's a smart play, especially given the knee injury. Temper your expectations for the explosive rookie early, but maybe next year, Denver will really have a feature back.

Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas: The Saints are a lot of people's pick for a playoff run, but the more I look at this team's offense, I wonder why. Sure, Drew Brees is a solid quarterback who deserves to be in discussions with Peyton Manning and Tom Brady, but who's he going to throw it to? Marques Colston and Lance Moore are both coming off serious injuries and haven't proven durability. Moreover, the threat of the running game has to be there and both Reggie Bush and Pierre Thomas have questions. Bush is coming off microfracture surgery and observers say he's lacking confidence in the knee. Worse, the changed mechanics in his gait are thought to be the big reason behind his calf strain. Bush did not play in Thursday's final preseason game. Sean Payton is going to have some tough decisions about game-planning for a guy he hasn't seen play outside of practice. Thomas is the bigger issue for the Saints, having sprained his MCL. He didn't play Thursday and his availability for Week 1 is in serious question. Even if he does play, his effectiveness will be an issue. If a team can be a playoff contender with Mike Bell as their top running back, maybe there's hope in New Orleans.

Jonathan Stewart: The problem with a running back tandem in the modern NFL is that you need a backup who can mesh in case either one of the backs -- the "thunder" or the "lightning" half of the most common setup -- goes down with an injury. With Jonathan Stewart continuing to miss time with an Achilles strain, the Panthers have been pretty happy with the play of Mike Goodson. Yes, the bulk of the carries will go to DeAngelo Williams but instead of a two-thirds role, Williams is likely to be closer to three-quarters of the carries. The issue of value will come down to whether Goodson takes the goal-line carries and touchdowns. Problem is that Goodson isn't that type of back with the kind of size and power that Stewart has. Instead, it looks like Goodson will slot into a third-down back role. It's good for Williams but not so good for the Panthers. Worse, there's no real timeline for Stewart to come back. If he's rushed, the Achilles could pop and he'd be done for the year. There's a chance that Stewart is PUP'ed to help with roster crunch. Don't be fooled by some who say Brad Hoover will get the goal-line carries or that Stewart's value is harmed significantly by the missed time. Once he's healthy, he'll be right back into his normal role, according to team sources.

Eagles O-Line: While the focus has been on Michael Vick and Donovan McNabb, the real issue for the Eagles is the guys keeping them upright back there. The offensive line was supposed to be a strength after the trade for Jason Peters, but instead, they've barely had the line together enough to even get them addressing each other on a first-name basis. Research from here at FO and other places has shown that unit cohesion and time together is one of the key factors for effectiveness. Stacy Andrews is coming off ACL surgery and hasn't been at full-go, while injuries to both guards have kept the line from developing any of that cohesion. With two mobile quarterbacks, this shouldn't be as significant an issue as it would be for a team with a strict pocket guy, but there's also an effect on Brian Westbrook and perhaps LeSean McCoy. Expectations for big wins and big numbers should be tempered a bit until this line proves strong and reasonably durable.

A Note on the Final Preseason Games

There's a long list of players that will sit out their final preseason games. For the most part, you don't have to worry about these. While the NFL is talking about an 18-game season, teams now understand that being healthy coming out of the four preseason games is much more important. Some players will just be resting up, some will be healing up, but there's really no new information to be gained if they don't play. Think of not playing (or very light playing time) as being the default state.

Bumps and Bruises

"Open dislocation" sounds like something pretty simple. It is, if you consider the bone popping through the skin to be simple. That's what Kyle Orton had happen in his last game. Amazingly, he's not expected to miss any time ... Marc Bulger will still have a broken pinky in Week 1, but he intends to play. I'm a bit curious whether he'll be able to handle the pain and pressure, so I'd make sure I had a good backup if he was my fantasy quarterback ... Anquan Boldin will be ready for Week 1, if not happy ... James Hardy looks to be starting the season on the PUP while he continues to recover from his ACL. It's as much about the roster as his rehab ... If there's good news anywhere in the NFL, it's that Cadillac Williams has looked very solid in his comeback from a devastating knee injury. There's lots of running back depth in the Bucs camp and a confused offense right now, but he's healthy enough to get some carries or to take on more if the need arises ... Sammy Morris is back at practice with the Pats. Still no word on what the injury that kept him out was, though speculation centers on his back. Morris is in danger of being cut, though he's likely to make it as the fifth running back ... Adam Vinatieri is just a kicker, but the Colts are taking a risk if they go into Week 1 without having him 100 percent. The team may carry two kickers or trade for Chad Ochocinco ... Black & Blue will stay on its normal weekly schedule for the season, normally running on Wednesdays, but with some occasional flexibility.

Posted by: Will Carroll on 04 Sep 2009

26 comments, Last at 05 Sep 2009, 4:07pm by Mick Fee